The Chronicle of Higher Education article re-explores the Georgia State University lawsuit against a group of academic publishers, which they describe as “part of a much bigger struggle over how scholarly communication will evolve in a digital world.”
There’s been a lot of talk about—and some action on—promoting library-publisher collaborations. But the struggle persists. It’s taking place in many theaters of operation across academe: in negotiations over licensing agreements that control access to scholarly content; in the rise of library-based and grass-roots scholarly publishing that might compete with what traditional publishers offer; in the spreading open-access movement. Don’t expect a peace treaty any time soon, no matter what happens in Georgia.
The basics: In 2008, Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and SAGE Publications sued officials of Georgia State over the use of copyrighted material in course e-reserves and on university Web sites. Arguments in the trial phase of the case concluded in federal court in Atlanta early this month. A ruling is expected no sooner than mid-July, perhaps later.
Academics feel that, if the publishers win, they will raise prices on the use of their content beyond the level to which institutions can afford to use them. And publishers feel an academic victory will rob them of any control over the fair use of their content, and their profits.
As usual, the librarians are caught in the middle of the battle, trying to balance the needs of both sides as they provide services.
Participants in the lawsuit have been unforthcoming in direct comments regarding the copyright issues involved. But it’s clear that they agree only in principle to the central issues of providing content to institutions… it’s in the details that both sides go their separate ways.
